Welcome to WeldingWeb.com, the ultimate Source for Welding Information & Knowledge Sharing! Here you can join over 40,000 Welding Professionals & enthusiasts from around the world discussing all things related to Welding. You are currently viewing as a guest which gives you limited access to view discussions

To gain full access to our community you must register; for a free account. As a registered member you will be able to:

Participate in over a dozen different forum sections and search/browse from nearly a million posts.

Post photos, respond to polls and access other special features
All this and much more is available to you absolutely free when you register; for an account, so join our community today today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact support.

Re: Tacky tacks

When I weld 7018 I strike up ahead of where I'm gonna start, move back to the start point without depositing any weld, lower my rod down where I want to start and start welding. No circles and no porosity, no cold starts and no lumps.

Re: Tacky tacks

Originally Posted by shortfuse

There's just TOO much of this long-arcing, circling and back-and-forth going on....I'm getting DIZZY!!!!!!!!!

It's a bunch of high school kaka, lol. Next thing everyone will be telling the newbies to either do little e's or q's...... sigh.....way to fancy for the ol x-ray work I do. PS we preheat with torches in my line of work.

Re: Tacky tacks

I would like to see someone do a series of beads where every letter of the alphabet and and numbers from 0 to 9 are used. First series with long-arcs and second series with a tight arc. THEN, they could repeat each series using 6011, 6013, 7014 and 7018 rods!! THEN....vary the amps.........now I really AM DIZZY!!!!!!!

Re: Tacky tacks

I'm not one that believes in making things harder than they need to be. All these circles and e's and inverted modified c's and whatnot that you read about on this site, where does all that come from? Acetone and dedicated tungsten grinders, breaking the end of the tungsten off to get rid of contamination....
If I was a new welder and I was trying to learn how to weld on this site I'd be like a dog chasing his tail trying to figure out what to try next.

Re: Tacky tacks

it is more a structural steel welding thing using bigger rod and a pipe welder may never see it. also newer welding machines often have a hot start feature. that is they give a extra 10 amps for a second to avoid cold starts. old welding machines with no hot start it is more a problem with cold weld starts.
.
where it works the best is 6013 or 7014 rod in inside corners like making a 2x2x1/4 angle used to make right angle bracket like a foot by foot long
.
6013 and 7014 have a habit of slag island out in middle of a cold weld start and after 1/2 to 3/4" of weld it has warmed up enough to stop doing it.
.
if you start arc weaving circle (circle maybe 1/8 to 3/16) and come out of corner you are making a hotter weld and after 3/4" you can decrease circle size as weld heats up. so i have found it is easier to weld with 6013 if you start arc making circles as training videos mention. porosity with 7018 you see if you grind weld start. usually see nothing if you do not grind. holes typically are pin hole size. 7018 your not suppose to ever long arc or make rapid movements so problem is if you make rapid movements on weld start . 6010/6011 has cellulose flux which burns giving gas shielding. thus why you can long arc and still not see porosity unless arc over 3/16 long. thus why whipping or changing arc length to control puddle is used only with 6010/6011
.
these youtube welding videos even after 37 years welding i think they are very good training videos. some of the best i have seen
.

Re: Tacky tacks

So I tacked this 1/4" mild steel lap joint with 1/8" 6011 at about 110A. The tack is on the far right, I forgot to snap a pic before I welded the joint. It did seem more manageable than tacking with 7018. I'm just not used to using 6011, it's a different animal than 7018. 7018= 6011= to me at this point. I think I just need to work on rod angle/manipulation. And padding some beads with 6011.

Re: Tacky tacks

Originally Posted by matyboom808

So I tacked this 1/4" mild steel lap joint with 1/8" 6011 at about 110A. The tack is on the far right, I forgot to snap a pic before I welded the joint. It did seem more manageable than tacking with 7018. I'm just not used to using 6011, it's a different animal than 7018. 7018= 6011= to me at this point. I think I just need to work on rod angle/manipulation. And padding some beads with 6011.

.
.
a tack when arc broke too soon will be concave and if arc held for a second more tack will be flat and another second longer tack will be convex or built up a bit
.
concave tacks generally hold but if hit hard with hammer will break. which is good if trying to align parts. as alignment gets better you put in stronger tacks (longer duration). you got a choice weld over and melt the concave tacks welds or make tack welds full height just short length and treat tack weld as a short weld bead and next weld has to merge too.

Re: Tacky tacks

Originally Posted by TimmyTIG

I'm not one that believes in making things harder than they need to be. All these circles and e's and inverted modified c's and whatnot that you read about on this site, where does all that come from? Acetone and dedicated tungsten grinders, breaking the end of the tungsten off to get rid of contamination....
If I was a new welder and I was trying to learn how to weld on this site I'd be like a dog chasing his tail trying to figure out what to try next.

I agree. Seems like too much fancy-schmancy with trying to develop "intriuging" patterns that will rewrite the laws of physics and allow 110V MIGs to weld 1" plate because the newly discovered zig-zaggery motions warp the space-time continuum and weld the joint from the 4th-dimension and from the inside-out I understand in special cases like vertical up/down they do help control the puddle due to gravity, but other than a few special circumstances....just my point of view of course.

Re: Tacky tacks

Originally Posted by Oscar

I agree. Seems like too much fancy-schmancy with trying to develop "intriuging" patterns that will rewrite the laws of physics and allow 110V MIGs to weld 1" plate because the newly discovered zig-zaggery motions warp the space-time continuum and weld the joint from the 4th-dimension and from the inside-out I understand in special cases like vertical up/down they do help control the puddle due to gravity, but other than a few special circumstances....just my point of view of course.

.
.
i say again some newer welding machines have hot start or extra 10 amps for the 1st second arc is started to avoid cold weld starts. some new machines have arc force control so amps change more or less with change in arc length. or you can pick soft or crisp arc
.
if you can weld with a basic hobby welder with no fancy features you can weld with a better machine with the fancy features too. many a welder used to a fancy welding machine cannot use a basic welding machine. their welding has become dependent on using only the fancy welders with the hot start and arc force controls
.
dont weave or whip or anything but drag your rod if thats all you want or thats all you can do. i am just mentioning the basics taught to apprentices on how to weld. whether you think anything but dragging rod is necessary thats up to you. like having a tool box full of tools you may not use all of them every time but nice to know they are there and you can use any time you feel its needed
.
try welding with 6013....... most welders with slag problems is cause they do not know how to weld like how to prevent cold weld starts in inside corners. once you know how to weld 6013 it is a easy rod to use. 7018 and 6010 in many ways are easier more forgiving rods to use.
.
but many a apprentice until they grind or feather their weld starts and stops and look closely at the weld do not realize they were getting pin hole porosity. it often is not seen unless weld is ground or machined. 7018 is famous for pin hole porosity when long arc used or rapid motions like arc starting are used. it is a skill to control weld start to avoid and or melt in the weld start going over arc marks from arc starting
.
the circle start motion is used for getting a hotter weld start and as parts warms up and melting or burn through becomes a problem you change to faster travel and less weave. so it more a problem if using say 5/32 rod to weld 1/4 plate rather than using small 3/32 rod to weld 1/4 plate. bigger rod requires more control to avoid cold start and ending weld with a burn through hole cause of excess heat or lack of heat control
.
again 6013 shows often if welder can control the arc and puddle. slag islands in middle of weld just shows lack of control and 6013 is easy to use once you master controlling the arc and puddle. many a welder who does not like 6013 is just a welder who cannot control the arc and puddle too good. a master welder uses 5/32 6013 to weld 1/4 plate. the amateur uses smaller rod